Shuttle valve



` SHUTTLE VALVE originaliled Nov. 24', 195o 6 INVENTOR.

#gent United States Patent 'O YSHUTTLE VALVE Frank C. Boosman, Los Angeles, Calif., yassigner to "Parker-Hanniiin Corporation, Cleveland, h10, a .corporation of Ohio 2 Claims. (Cl. 251-175) This application is a Ydivision of the Frank C. Boosman application, ser. No. v197,221,.1ed November 24, 1950, now Patent No. 2,685,296 and has to do particularly with the specific construction of the mating seat parts in valves.

A11 object of the invention is to provide a valve seating arrangement whereby a distortable rubber-like gasket isadapted to be compressed a predetermined amount by a cooperating valve seat-andrin which iiuid pressure is accessible to one portion of the gasket for distorting the same into still tighter sealing engagement withthe valve seat. Y

V l Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a detailed description and from the drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal cross-section through a shuttle rvalve having a double ended valve member alternately engageable with-a pair of spaced seats inthe valve body. Y

Figure 2 is an end view of the guide extension Von one end of the shuttle.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section showing the initial contact of the rubber-like gasket in the .valve member with the cooperating seat in the valve body.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 except-showing the parts in final and tight seating engagementwith compression of the gasket by the body seat limited toV av predetermined amount.

- Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing the locking means for preventing accidental unloosening of the inner ends of the retaining members for the gaskets ofthe valve member.

Figure 6 shows an alternate Varrangement of the'valve seats for carrying out the present invention-when uid pressure is acting on the opposite side of the valve'member from that of Figure l.

The shuttle valveas illustrated in Figure l includes a T-shaped Ibody member 10 having a longitudinal bore 1l therethrough. Each end of this bore is threaded as at 11..v and 13 for receiving adapters 14 and 15. Each adapter has a respective bore 16 and 17 at its inner end and counterbores 18 and 19 ending in threads 20 and 21 at the outer ends. Each of the adapters may be connected to a source of fluid under pressure by means of the threads 20 and 21. The joints between the adapters and the body are sealed by gaskets 22 and 23.

The valve body-has an outlet bore 24 intersecting the central portion ofthe bore 11. The-outer end of the outlet bore 24 is threaded as at 25v for attachment to a suitable Vconduit or other part to which iuid is to be delivered,

The inner ends of the adapters 14 and l5 -areformed with. annular ribs 26 and 27 preferablyhaving at, transverse outer faces 28 and 29 and having spaced therefrom annular transverse abutment faces 30'and 31. The two adaptersare so `mounted that their bore portions'16 and 17 are in axial alignment with each other.

Mounted within 4the bore 11 js;1adouble: endedvalve "ice member, or shuttle, 35. lIt is comprised of a sleeve 36 having a bore 37 therethrough and having counterbores 38 and 39 at opposite ends of the bore. Located in the counterbores are deformable gaskets 40vand 41 of rubber or the like. The. gaskets are held in place by a pair of identically formed retaining members 42 and 43.

The retaining members have reduced cylindrical portions 44 and 45 adapted to conformably t within the bore 37 of the sleeve, and haveshoulders 46 and 47 to limit the amount which the. retaining members may enter the bore of the sleeve. Adjacent the shoulders 46 and 47 are cylindrical surfaces 48 and 49 which closely iit the inside diameters .of the gaskets 40 and 41. Adjacent the cylindrical surfaces 48 and 49 are other shoulders 50 and 51'which` engage the outer-faces of the gaskets for retaining the same in the sleeve counterbores 38 and 39.

Outward of the shoulders 50 and 51, the retaining members have cylindrical ,portions 52 and 53 which conformably Yfit within the bores 16 and 17 of the adapters. Additional cylindrical portions 54 and 55 are spaced from the portions'52 and 53 and have passageways 56 and 57 formed in the central portions thereof.

The reduced portions A44 and 45 of the retaining members areinternally threaded from their inner ends and a threaded stud 58 is mounted therein for holding the retaining members in place. The inner ends of the reduced portions 44 and 45 are serrated as at 59 and 60, as clearly shown in Figure 5. A .split lock washer 61 having oppositely outwardly turned split ends 62 and 63 is interposed between the inner ends of the retaining members and the outwardly turned ends engage in the serrations for effectively locking the parts to yprevent accidental unloosening of the retaining members on the threaded stud 58.

Outwardly` of the counterbores 38 and 39 formed in the ends of the shuttle sleeve 35 are second counterbores 65 and 66. Asclearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, the counterbores extend to a point approximately midway of the thickness of the gaskets 40 and 41 and are of a diameter slightly -larger than the initial outer diameters of the gaskets and of the ribs 26 and 27, the outer diameters of the gaskets and ribs being substantially equal. The counterbores 65 and 66 are formed within annular anges `67 and 68 andportions of these flanges overlie portions of the cylindrical portions 52 and 53 so as'to form annularrrecesses therebetween. lThe annular ribs are adapted to enter these recesses Vand make sealing contact with the gaskets. The gaskets are preferably of square or rectangular cross-section, and present flat surfaces of appreciable width to the outer faces 28 and .29 of the ribs. The outer faces 28 vand 29are also .preferably flat and of appreciable width so that they may initially engage the `gaskets with an-area vcontact of appreciable width. The parts are so formed and dimensioned that when the -outer faces 28 and 29 initially engage the gaskets, the outerfaces 69 and 70 of the flanges 67 and 68 will be spaced a slight distance from the respective transverse faces 30 and 31 of-theadapters. Upon slight compression vof the gaskets by vthe ribs, the gaskets will be distorted in the manner shown in lFigure 4 and displacedgasket material 71 will flow into the counterbores 65 or 66. Thepartsare so yform-ed and dimensioned that the displaced material 71-will preferably not -contact the Walls of t'he counterbores, and hence avoid pinching of the displaced vgasket material, although the parts maybe dimensioned to allow such Contact `if desired. The close conformable t of the reduced portions 44 and 45 accurately'centers the retaining members with respect to the gaskets and the internal surfacesl of the shuttle sleeve 36 and being concentric with the rvguide surfaces 52, 54, *53 Aand 55 facilitates accurate alignment of the various shuttle surfaces with the ribs and bores of the adapters.

The outer surface of the shuttle sleeve 36 has formed therein a pair of grooves 74 and V75 which form between them an annular ridge 76 having sloping sides 77 and 78.

The valve body has a central boss 79 into which is threaded a closed cap 80. The cap vhas a hole 81 formed therein and in which is located a spring 82 and a ball 83. The ball is adapted to seat on one or the other of Vthe inclined sides 77 and 78 and, under the pressure of the spring 82, cause the shuttle to be urged against one or the other of the adapter ribs 26 and 27. A packing 84 seals the joint between the body and the cap. Y

The shuttle valve as illustrated in Figure l sprimarily intended to be used in a hydraulic system having a main and an alternate source of fluid under pressure, only one of which is utilized at any given time. Thus the main source of uid under pressure may be connected to the adapter 15 while the alternate source may be connected to the adapter 14. The outlet port 24 may then be connected to one of various hydraulic devices to which fluid under pressure is to be delivered.

With the main source of iiuid pressure turned on and the alternate source turned otr, fluid under pressure will enter the adapter 15 and force the shuttle 35 to seat upon the adapter 14, as shown in Figure l, and prevent the escape of fluid under pressure from within the valve through the adapter 14. The fluid will then pass through the passages 57 and between the guide extensions 55 and 53 to the valve bore 11 around the flange 68 and out through the port 24.

During this time, the iluid will be acting upon the left hand end of the shuttle to hold the latter tightly seated against the adapter 14 with the rib 26 distorting the gasket 40 as shown in Figure 4 and with the distortion or compression limited by the contact of the end face 69 ofthe flange 67 with the adapter face 30. Any uid which leaks by these contacting faces will enter the counterbore 65 and act upon the outer surface of the displaced portion 71 of the gasket. This will tend to distort the gasket into tighter sealing engagement with the outer face 28 of the adapter rib 26. Thus, the higher the fluid pressure, the more tightly will the gasket be seated against the rib.

lIt will also be noted that in the seated position as illustrated in Figure 4 the gasket is completely and closely conned at allpoints except along the outer face of the displaced portion 71. Thus there are no appreciable spaces or crevices into which the gasket can be extruded by the pressure of the iluid.

On Vthe side of the shuttle which is unseated, see Figure l, it will be noted that fluid pressure within the valve bore 11 will enter the counterbore 66 and act upon the gasket in such a manner as to force it more tightly into its place of confinement. Thus, there is no tendency for the gasket to be forced out of its recess by uid pressure.

The length of the shuttle is such that at no time will it be completely withdrawn from either of the adapters 14 and 15. When the shuttle is in a seated position against one of the adapters, as for example against adapter 14 as shown in Figure l, it will be noted that the cylindrical guide extension 56 is within the bore portion 16. On the opposite side the cylindrical guide portion 53 is withdrawn from the adapter 15 and the guide portion 55 is within the bore 17. Thus the only comparatively short bore portions 16 and 17 are utilized for guiding of the shuttle and there is less chance for the shuttle to bind because of any misalignment therebe tween which might occur when the adapters are threaded into thefvalve body. i

When the main source of pressure connected to adapter 15 fails o r is turned oit andthe alternate 'source connected to the adapter 14 is turned on, the pressure of the uid upon the right hand end of the shuttle will force the latter leftward until the ridge 76 passes under the ball 83 and the left hand end of the shuttle seats upon the adapter 15. The gasket 41 will then be seated upon the rib 27 and the ange 68 will engage the adapter face 31. This closes the adapter 15 to the interior of the valve and permits uid under pressure to pass from the adapter 14 to the outlet 24. Fluid under pressure within the-valve bore 11 which leaks past the engagement of the flange 68 and the adapter face 31 will enter the counterbore 66 and act upon the gasket 41 for more tightly seating the same against the rib 27 in the manner previously described.

Although the seat arrangement of the-present'inven tion is particularly adapted to shuttle valves of the type described, it may be used to advantage on other types of valves, as for example, check valves, reciprocating stop valves, etc. Also, it may be used in a reverse arrangement whereby the pressure to be sealed acts within the port which is being closed oi rather than from within the valve chamber. In such case the gasket has a portion'of its inner diametral surface exposed to iluid under pressure rather than its outer surface. Thus, for example, as shown in Figure 6, 87 may represent a portion of a valve body and 88 a portion of a valve chamber within such body, and 89 may represent a portion of a valve element within the valve chamber, which valve element is movable by any suitable means into and out of engagement with the inner end of anV adapter 90 for opening and closing a'port 91 in the adapter with respect to the valve chamber 88. Assuming that the port 91 is to be in communication with a source of fluid pressure,

.. under pressure within the port 91 enters the space bethe gasket 92 is so confined that when the valve element 89 is closed against the adapter iluidiunder pressure within the port will have access to a portion of the inner diametral surface of the gasket for forcing the latter into tighter sealing engagement with the adapter.

In such case the end of the valve member 89 is formed with a threaded hole 93, a counterbore 94, and an undercut 95 at the bottom of the counterbore. The gasket 92 is lodged in the undercut and held therein by a retaining member 96, threaded into the threaded bore 93. The retaining member has a cylindrical pontion 97 closely tting the inner surface of the gasket and another cylindrical portion 98 of slightly smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the gasket and extending about half the length of the gasket. It also has a cylindrical guide extension 99 spaced from the portion 98 and having a close tit within the bore 91.

The inner end of the adapter 90 has an annular rib 100 which is adapted to enter the counterbore 94 and engage the gasket. Adjacent the rib 100 on the adapter is a transverse face 101 which is engageable with the end face 102 of the valve member for limiting the amount which the rib may distort the gasket.

When the valve member is seated as illustrated, uid

tween the cylindrical portion 9S and the inner diameter of the gasket and acts outwardly on the latter and tends to distort it into tighter sealing engagement with the end of the rib 100.

Although specic structures embodying the present inventionV have been shown and described it is obvious that they may be modified and changed in many ways and that the invention may be incorporated in other structures without departing from the scope of )the invention as defined by the claims.

I claim:

l. In a valve, a seat member having a bore surrounded at one end by an annular projecting rib, said projecting rib having a cylindrical surface, a valve member movable relative to the seat member for opening and closing the bore, said valve member having formed therein an an-y nular recess open .at one end, a distontable gasketdisposed wholly within the recess with the walls of the recess projecting outwardly beyond the gasket, said projecting rib being adapted to enter the recess and sealingly engage the gasket for closing 'the bore, one wall of the recess being so spaced from at leasta part of a radial surface of the gasket as to permit iluid gaining access to ythe recess when the valve is seated to act in a radial direction upon the gasket and distort it endwise into tighter sealing engagement with the projecting rib, another Wall of said recess being adapted to overlap said cylindrical surface when the Valve member moves toward closed position and having a close sliding t therewith so that at no time after initial contact between the gasket and said projecting rib is there an appreciable space between said another wall and said cylindrical surface into which said gasket may be forced by said radially acting uid.

2. A valve stnlcture in accordance with claim l in 6 which said one recess wall is radially spaced a substantial amount from the projecting rib so as to permit deformation of said gasket toward said one Wall Without pinching said gasket between said one wall and said projecting rib.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,791,449 Kennedy Feb. 3, 1931 2,260,381 Kennon Oct. 28, 1941 2,354,791 Boldt Aug. 1, 1944 2,481,713 Bertea Sept. 13, 1949 2,524,951 Ashton Oct. 10, 1950 2,639,728 Briechle May 26, 1953 2,651,491 Ashton Sept. 8, 1953 2,654,564 Pech Oct. 6, 1953 2,657,897 Folmsbee Nov. 3 ,1953 2,745,432 Williams May 15, 1956 

